Karnataka High Court gives one-day respite for Mahendra Singh Dhoni

BENGALURU: Even as M.S. Dhoni, captain of India’s one day team and also an honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the army, is undergoing a two-week training at the Army’s para-training school in Agra, a case lodged against him for hurting the religious sentiments by 'posing' as Lord Vishnu took several twists and turns both at a lower court and the high court on Monday.

After Monday’s proceedings, the high court gave a day’s relief to Dhoni for appearing before a lower court. It directed him to file an affidavit before the High Court saying that he has not received any remuneration for the cover photo of an English magazine where he is seen posing as Lord Vishnu with six hands holding various products that he endorses.

He had approached the High Court seeking directions to quash a private complaint of Mr Jayakumar Hiremath who filed the complaint stating that Dhoni hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by holding a branded shoe in one of his hands while being depicted as Lord Vishnu on the cover page of the magazine.

Dhoni was to appear before the Ninth ACMM court on Monday, where the judge at the magistrate court orally observed to issued him warrant to appear before the court.  Following this, he pleaded before the High Court to grant him exemption from appearing only for a day. The magistrate court adjourned the next hearing to August 18. But, Dhoni has been directed by the high court to file the affidavit before it by August 17.

Earlier the high court came down heavily upon Dhoni observing that having a face value of more than Rs 100 crore, such celebrity cricketers should be more aware while being depicted in the public domain. “Such acts are only affecting people's religious sentiments, which should be avoided” The case stands adjourned to Aug 17 before the high court and August 18 before the magistrate court.